Administrative/Biographical History:

Alice Purnell OBE (1943-2024) was a pioneering poet, counsellor, nurse and transgender activist.

Along with Alga Campbell from Dublin, Giselle, a US expatriate, and Sylvia Carter she founded the Beaumont Society (named after the 18th century transvestite pioneer) in 1965. The membership numbering was started at 100. Initially there were almost as many overseas members as in the UK, with some in Malaysia, Kenya and other parts of the Commonwealth. Alice became the overseas contact person because of her French. Regional contacts were appointed but were often the only member in their region.

After an initial meeting in Hampstead, the first full meeting was held in Southampton in 1966 with 12 in attendance including two wives. In 1969 Virginia Prince visited the Beaumont Society in London, Leicester and Scotland. On her return in 1971 she stayed with Alice. Alice also attended the TV/TS conferences at Leeds University in 1974, and Leicester University in 1975 – the latter was organized by the Beaumont Society. In 1975, Alice was a co-founder of the Beaumont Trust, a registered charity, which separately from the Beaumont Society, set up a helpline and published educational booklets on transgender topics. In 1976 Alice became Vice-President of the Beaumont Society, and President a year later.

In 1977, Alice trained as a nurse, specializing in geriatric services. She then worked as such for 26 years, at one time becoming a matron, including nursing support for transgender surgery. She had surgery in 1982 and remained President of the Beaumont Society until 1984. She also worked with Judy Cousins at SHAFT. Using the contacts that she had made she organized the first of the conferences which was held at Manchester University in 1990. This was intended as a British conference, and deliberately brought together each type of professional who deals with trans persons, and each type of trans person. There were a further seven GENDYS conferences held every two years. Alice edited all the GENDYS Conference Reports and often contributed papers.

After obtaining a master's degree in counselling and psychology, she co-founded Gender Trust and subsidized it in its first year. It was intended to help transgender rather than transvestite persons, and was, like the Beaumont Trust, a registered charity.

Alice Purnell was made an OBE in the 2012 New Years Honours List: "For services to Transgender People".

Scope and Content:

Papers, correspondence, press cuttings, publications, reports, photographs and other material regarding the Beaumont Society and Alice Purnell [1960-2017]. Includes: Material from the creation of the Beaumont Bulletin; Beaumont Society papers, correspondence and membership activities; Albany Trust papers; self-help group materials; Beaumont Society memorabilia and stationary; flyers and marketing materials for explicit films and other groups; personal correspondence; personal notebook and written accounts; press cuttings and correspondence concerning make-up and hosiery; Beaumont Society Befriending Service material; poems and creative writing; letters to the Beaumont Bulletin; Gender Trust accounts and other material; GEMS'; Beaumont Trust papers; Gendys material including journal, magazine, and other papers; miscellaneous LGBTQ+ publications; Gender Dysphoria Trust material; Beaumont Society Executive Committee minutes, correspondence and other papers; European Network of Professionals on Transexualism; Beaumont website; research material and resources; GIRES material; assorted other groups' materials; miscellaneous files.

Quantity:

25 Boxes